Une histoire belge

It's hard to promote a city where you've lived for eleven years as a tourist destination. But I'll give it a try.

In Brussels, your best bet is a neighborhood called Ixelles. Book a hotel at Avenue Louise, take a stroll by the Ixelles ponds (photo), have a coffee at Cafe Belga and have dinner at Place Chatelain. It's going to be worth it. Brussels is a very strange place that has a character that cannot really be compared to any other city. English works almost everywhere

If you really want to check out the centre, take rue du Midi and head south. You'll run into amazing shops that are a goldmine for all kinds of collectors (books, instruments, stamps, etc.).